Official Documentation

The official WSL documentation is regularly updated with improved instructions, and documentation for new features as we continue to improve WSL. Be sure to revisit regularly to keep up to date!

Overviews

The following resources provide an overview of WSL, and the improvements delivered within each major Windows 10 release:

Original Build 2016 WSL Introduction

To help answer some of these questions we've collected together most of the learning resources - docs, blog posts, and videos, below, where you can learn all about this exciting new Windows 10 feature:

This is our original intro video which was published simultaneously with the original launch of WSL at Build 2016.

Note that most of the caution urged in the video above, regarding WSL's initial "gaps" and "missing features" have been remedied in the Insider builds leading up to, and including, Windows 10 Creators Update.

What's new in WSL and Windows Console in Windows 10 Creators Update ?

After Windows 10 Anniversary Update was launched, we immediately began work on features that will ultimately show-up in Windows 10 Creator Update (due spring 2017). These new WSL and Console features were introduced in the Windows Insider builds rolling out of our build labs during the latter half of 2016, which I summarize in several posts on this blog, and in a follow-up video here:

Deep Dives

We invited some of the key WSL architects and developers to explain the key internal workings of WSL. The result is a series of WSL internals-focused blog posts and Channel9 videos recorded by the inimitable Seth Juarez for your viewing enjoyment!

Note: This list of posts and videos will be updated as we drop new content so be sure to come back once every couple of weeks to learn more!

Hope you enjoy these resources. We have more planned, but if there's anything you're particularly interested in learning about, pile onto the comments 🙂

What can you do with WSL?

The resources below share examples of what you can do with WSL. We hope to grow this list over time, so please check-back often to see some of the cool things people do with WSL!

Use Visual C++ for Linux to build and debug C++ code on WSL

During Windows DevDays on Feb 8th 2017, Stacey and Rick demonstrated using Visual C++ for Linux to compile and debug an application on WSL! Many thanks to Marc & the team for their help building this demo! 🙂